ScreenFish

where faith and film are intertwined

wrestling

Changing the Game – Knowing Who You Are

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Part of my self-identity is as a jock. That isn’t to say I’m particularly athletic, but I always wanted to be. I took part in sports, but never excelled. But that desire helps define me as a person. Changing the Game, a documentary by Michael Barnett, is a look at the struggles of three high school athletes as they strive to claim their identities. All three are transgender. [Note: throughout the review I will refer to them as the gender they know themselves to be.]

Mack Beggs is a Texas state wrestling champion, trying to gain his second title. In Texas, boys are not allowed to wrestle against girls, and gender is determined by one’s birth certificate. That means that Mack must wrestle against girls. Because he is taking testosterone as part of his transitional therapy, he has a definite advantage against his opponents.

Sarah Rose Huckman is a skier in New Hampshire. That state’s rules, when she began competing, was that gender reassignment surgery must be completed to compete as that gender. (Which is a fairly inane idea given high school students ages.) She becomes an advocate for transgender rights in her state.

Andraya Yearwood runs track in Connecticut. In that state, students can compete in whichever gender they self-identify as. Like Mack, as Andraya competes in women’s races, her body (and its masculine hormones, create an advantage.

All three of these young people are skilled at their sports. But they risk controversy to take part. Is it fair to the other athletes? Is it fair to these three if they are banned from competition? The film has voices on both sides of these questions, but there are deeper questions that arise as well, such as the nature of transgender identity and the role of sports in schools.

As we meet the three athletes, their parents, friends, and coaches, we certainly see them as the gender that they identify with. Although, Mack’s grandfather still struggles with the proper pronoun to use, all of these people are supportive of them not just as athletes, but as young people. These athletes are very clear what gender they are—even if people in the stands or state athletic systems are not.

 It is also shown how difficult it is not just to be a trans athlete, but a trans teen as well. It is noted in the film that 40% of trans teens attempt suicide. The pressures of being transgender can become overwhelming. These three athletes must deal with those pressures, and have them amplified by the controversy when they compete.

The film also looks into the value of sports for students. Andraya’s coach is the most open about his view of sports. It is not primarily about winning, but about teaching life lessons to the young people he coaches. An administrator in Connecticut makes the case for their very open policy by saying that you cannot have them live as one gender all the rest of the day, then when it comes to sports tell them they aren’t that gender.

The film is a fair treatment of the issue of the participation in sports by such athletes. There are problems with all the systems to be sure. But as a jock, I value the ways that sport (even when I failed) has influenced my life. I would not want to prevent young athletes from such experiences because their bodies do not match their gender. The three athletes we meet know themselves as more than as jocks. So do we.

Changing the Game is streaming on Hulu.

Photos courtesy of Hulu.

Reporting from Slamdance – 18th & Grand

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Growing up in Los Angeles in the 50s and 60s, I was well aware of the Olympic Auditorium. That was where they held wrestling, roller derby, and boxing that came into our homes on local TV. Later it was the scene of punk rock shows. In the years since, I’ve driven by it often (although it is now The Glory Church of Jesus Christ). So it was a given that I was going to want to see Slamdance’s Closing Night feature, the world premiere of 18th & Grand: The Olympic Auditorium Story. Would it just be a fun nostalgic trip or something more?

Certainly, there was some wonderful nostalgia, but director Stephen DeBro was much more interested in showing not just the history of the venue, but how that history reflects the city’s history and the cultural aspects that were reflected in the sporting and entertainment events that took place there.

The film spends little time on the early history of the Olympic, built in 1925 and serving as the venue for boxing, wrestling, and weight-lifting competitions in L.A. first Olympics in 1932. The film’s story really begins in the 1940s when Ailene Eaton becomes the business manager. Eaton, who had never seen a fight at that point, went on to become an extremely influential boxing promoter, promoting fights from the Central Valley to the Mexican border, but primarily at the Olympic which was seen as the West Coast equivalent of Madison Square Garden. The Olympic holds an important place in the history of boxing. The film touches only briefly on fight fixing and mob involvement, but gives the impression that it didn’t last long at the Olympic.

But the film also shows the way the Olympic reflected the city. Eaton created boxing cards that attracted the Mexican-American population. This at a time when L.A. was very divided (and in many ways it still is). She promoted fighters like Enrique Bolanos and Art Aragon, who represented two very different views of how Mexican-Americans fit into society. In later years, among those who were got important career opportunities at the Olympic included Julio César Chavéz, and Carlos Palomino (both of whom are interviewed in the film).

When the film turns to the wrestling that took place at the Olympic, it shows the way the good vs. evil aspect to this scripted sport reflected the geo-political tensions of the post- World War and later the Cold War period.

The film is bolstered by interviews DeBro has done with various people who have been involved at the Olympic, including fighters, wrestlers like Roddy Piper and Dick Beyer (aka The Destroyer, who was interviewed in his mask); Dick Enberg, who announced boxing there early in his career; Mamie Van Doren, part of the celebrity scene at fights; and Gene LeBell, son of Ailene Eaton and an important part of the Olympic in his own right. Those interviews are important bits of history, because some of those interviewed have since past away.

I love the nostalgia of seeing these bits of my childhood recreated, but I appreciate even more the depth that the film goes into to put it in a particular cultural setting—something we rarely think about, especially with sports like boxing, wrestling, or roller derby, with their violence and in the case of the latter two, scripted showmanship. The film’s exploration of the Olympic serves a way to look into L.A.’s and the broader society’s past, and allows us to rethink the present in that light.

You Can’t Kill David Arquette: Wrestling for Redemption

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Who knew that this summer’s greatest superhero story would be David Arquette?

Seriously, I didn’t see it coming.

The new doc, You Can’t Kill David Arquette, reintroduces Arquette himself as a man burdened by the past. Back in 2000, with his wrestling comedy Ready to Rumble about to come out, Arquette was invited to participate in a brief storyline on WCW (World Championship Wrestling) to help promote the film. As a long-time fan of industry, he was thrilled to be a part of the world. However, when the company decided to briefly crown him champion, Arquette was quickly branded the most hated man in wrestling by fans who felt he was an outsider. With You Can’t Kill, Arquette attempts a rocky return to the world of sports entertainment, determined to redeem himself to others and reclaim his self-respect.

Directed by David Darg and Price James, You Can’t Kill David Arquette is both a love letter to professional wrestling and a redemption of sorts for Arquette. Darg and James follow Arquette from the local backyard to the underground wrestling circuit of Tijuana in an effort to shine a spotlight on the earnestness of an industry that is considered a joke by man. Though they’ll likely never perform in front of 20, 000 fans, these warriors are no less committed than their big-league counterparts, fighting every night for love of the show. Without question, however, the most endearing aspect of the film is Arquette himself who understands his place as an outsider yet passionately pursues his dream as a pro wrestler. 

Of course, every great hero story needs a villain and, in You Can’t Kill, this is personified by an obsessive fan culture that seemed to crush his spirit outside of the ring. In some ways, the film feels like an apology to diehard fans for his involvement in the highly controversial decision to crown him WCW Champion nearly 20 years ago. As a long-time fan of pro wrestling, Arquette has always held the athletes that put their bodies on the line for the sake of sports entertainment in the highest of esteem. However, after being crowned champion, fans turned on him personally. Viewed as an outsider who was mocking their passion for the sake of promoting his film, Arquette himself became demonized by the very community that he was attempting to celebrate. Like other pop culture icons, wrestling fans can be vicious when they feel that they’ve been crossed and their misplaced loathing at Arquette took a toll on him emotionally. 

With You Can’t Kill, Arquette seems to want to offer an apology for the past while also bravely standing up to those who felt he wasn’t taking things seriously enough. (Interestingly, even the title of the film itself suggests not only the physical punishment of the ring but also serves as notice to those who vilified him emotionally.) Yet, there is much more to this story than simply attempting to make amends. More than anything, Arquette wants to honour and respect the industry and prove to others that his love of the wrestling world is undisputable. While some moments of the doc may feel like pageantry, Arquette’s earnestness and commitment to the process is genuine. Wearing a hat that proclaims that ‘Wrestling’s Not Fake’, Arquette fully recognizes that, while the storylines and outcomes may be scripted, the sacrifices that the men and women make with their bodies for the sake of body slams are very real and take their toll over time. In this way, there’s an authenticity that shines through each performer, despite the wild spectacle of the show. 

Though he calls himself the ‘Magic Man’, Arquette’s credibility stems not from his costume but by his willingness to learn, grow and, most of all, take the hits. His heart and honesty make him a hero. Arquette knows he will never be the best in the business. That’s not his goal. Instead of personal glory, Arquette simply wants to be invited to the table so he can be a part of a world that has meant so much to him over the years. As such, his determination and commitment may redeem him to the public but, more importantly, they also are a testament to the human spirit.

You Can’t Kill David Arquette is an honest look at a man who knows his limitations but wants to stand with his idols. Despite the unjust hate that he’s received over the years because of a poorly conceived publicity stunt, the man behind the championship belt is determined to show the world that he deserves to be there.

After all, in You Can’t Kill David Arquette proves that real heroes may get slammed but they can’t be put down.

You Can’t Kill David Arquette premieres at Fantasia Fest on August 24th, 2020 and on VOD on August 28th, 2020.

Bleak Street – And Is It Ever

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The black and white cinematography of Bleak Street sets the mood. There is no brightness or cheer in the Mexico City neighborhood in which it is set. This is a world in which gray is the dominant color. The characters live in desperation and on the fringes of the fringe. There is little or no hope for those who live here—only the possibility (or perhaps the curse) of surviving another day.

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The story revolves around a pair of aging prostitutes, Dora and Adela, who are no longer sent to the busier corners where they could get work. Both have issues going on at home that make their life even more miserable. There is also a focus on a pair of midget lucha libre wrestlers, Little Death and Little AK. They are twins who serve as “shadows” for a pair of full size wrestlers. Little Death and Little AK wear their masks at all time. These two story lines eventually intersect with tragic consequences. Through it all there is a sense of destiny being played out. The characters have lives that seem to have been fated to bring them to this point. From time to time one of them will talk about how whatever happens is what is meant to happen.

I can understand why a filmmaker would be attracted to this story. It is a film that plumbs the depth of human sorrow. It is not about depravity, but rather about the desperation that fills the world in the kinds of settings these characters find themselves. Each has his or her own burdens that have brought them to this point. And the idea of the way destiny has shaped them and continues to do so is a concept that can be fruitful to explore.

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I wonder more about the audience for the film. Certainly those who frequent art houses are used to dark, depressing films without happy endings. But there are not a lot of people who really want to see just how dark the world can be. To be sure, this film has its qualities: the visual use of light and shadows fits perfectly with the story; the treatment of the characters as frail and broken rather than as flawed or sinful. There is an artfulness to this film that many will appreciate. Some will appreciate the humanity of the characters and mourn their fate. Some will ponder the role destiny plays in the tragedies of life. But all who brave this film (and some will see the value in doing so) will journey through darkness that may feel overwhelming.

Photos courtesy of Leisure Time Features

The Masked Saint: Bringing Good To Others

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1465914_10153531839760557_1008715661_o-2Saturday mornings, for me, were opportunities to enjoy a bowl (or two) of cereal and sit on the couch, television remote in hand. After I had my fill of Shirt Tales, Snorks, and Smurfs, I often had to decide what to do next. Should I watch a new episode of Dungeons and Dragons or enjoy some wrestling? Normally, I just turned the TV off and went to play, but one morning, I changed the channel to professional wrestling and entered a new world.

I would sit, transfixed, as the likes of Ric Flair, The Ultimate Warrior, and Hulk Hogan took part in battle. Afterwards, my friends would gather and attempt the moves on a trampoline or with the action figures we received for Christmas.  We all knew the stuff was fake, but it didn’t stop us from having hours of fun imagining we were the world champions.

In the new film The Masked Saint, wrestling is brought to the silver screen—this time in the form of a pastor named Chris Samuels (Brett Granstaff—check out my interview with him here).  Yes, I said pastor.  It’s a unique idea based on a true story and has the potential to connect with a cross-section of Americana, but it falls prey to slow pacing and trying to accomplish too much.

Samuels is a professional wrestler who looks similar to NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and wears a mask (a la Jack Black in Nacho Libre) and goes by the stage name The Saint.  He’s extremely popular and has made promoter Nicky Stone (the late ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper) a lot of money.  But the script is about to change, as Samuels is set to retire and a new wrestler is selected to beat him in a title match.  That fighter is The Reaper (James Preston Rogers), who looks like a clone of The Undertaker.  The fight is supposed to be fake (as one might expect), but The Reaper goes too far and breaks Samuels’ leg in the process.

Chris and Michelle, The Masked SaintThis is a setback for Samuels, who is also a seminary graduate and has accepted a position as pastor in Rolling Spring, MI. The church is a half-step from disbanding, only surviving thanks to the ‘generosity’ of Judd Lumpkin (Patrick McKenna), a character who is the embodiment of every bad church member rolled into one person. Judd is loud, brash, crude, egotistical, and isn’t afraid of promoting himself or throwing his congregation under the bus—sometimes all at once. After Samuels has to put him in a sleeper hold to get his attention during a rec league basketball game, he gains the attention of Ross Harper (Mykel Jenkins), a local detective in town.

Rolling Spring is a rough town, and Samuels is about to learn how rough in his first month on the job.  He’s not a fantastic preacher—actually, he’s horrible—but he’s willing to invite people to the church.  Unfortunately, in a humorous yet sad scene, Samuels and his wife Michelle (Lara Jean Chorostecki) go door to door, only to find doors slammed when they mention the name of the church (thanks a lot, Judd).  It’s not a pretty picture, and when Judd (and his money) leaves, the couple find themselves trying to survive the harsh Michigan winter. Samuels has to pull himself out of retirement and wrestle in order to keep the church afloat.

But although the congregation has no clue about his alter ego (save one lady), things are happening in town. Samuels finds himself putting on the mask to help a lady in an alley and starts doing covert acts of good. The lady in the church who knows who he is, Miss Edna (Diahann Carroll), gives him a book and acts as his spiritual mentor. He begins to find a rhythm with preaching and the people begin to listen and respond. Samuels begins to face questions of priority, ego, faith, determination, family, and his other identity.  How far will he go to do what is right for his family, the church, and others?

The Masked Saint, Brett GranstaffThis sounds suspiciously like an adaptation of the Daredevil series currently on Netflix, but it’s not; there’s only a minor focus on the vigilante crime prevention.  I do think the film could be so much more if that were the case—after all, who wouldn’t want to see a wrestler using real moves to clean up a town? Instead, the script branches out into too many topics (bullying, domestic violence, crime, corruption, to name four) and tries to become all things for all people. Limiting the scope somewhat and delving into a few character-based topics would’ve been much more beneficial to the audience.  Instead, it’s like trying to focus on everything going on in Times Square—a task that often doesn’t work.  In addition, the film drags in the second half as it builds up to a rather big wrestling match. The fighting scenes are pretty good, but way too few and far between for those people intending to see a wrestling film.

This is not to say The Masked Saint is a disaster, as it’s not.  The acting is quite good and the production values are better than many faith-based movies.  Carroll does a great job as Miss Edna, encouraging the young pastor and sometimes taking him to task for his decisions.  She gives him a journal she calls “Mastering the Gift,” which becomes his main focus for the remainder of the film—even over the Bible, in my opinion.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see copies of the journal in Christian retailers soon.  Granstaff also does well in his role as the pastor/wrestler, adding an authenticity that’s not often seen in films of this type.

One of the more interesting themes in the movie involves Samuels dealing with his past. It wasn’t an easy life, and wrestling helped him survive constantly being bullied as a kid. But when he begins to become the bully and sees himself as more than he is, things get tense. Many times in the Bible, characters found themselves dealing with the past—take Moses as an example.  He wasn’t a great leader, didn’t speak well, and had a black mark in his past by killing an Egyptian. And yet God was able to use him to lead a country through a sea on the way to the Promised Land. Even despite this, Moses didn’t learn all his lessons and eventually made himself equal to God when attempting to get water from a rock (see Numbers 20:6-12). We’re not to dwell on the past, but we’re to look and see the new things God is creating and join Him in that work. When that happens, life becomes a fulfilling journey that brings purpose and satisfaction to many.

Taking Off the Mask: An Interview with Brett Granstaff

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The Masked Saint, Brett GranstaffBrett Granstaff is no stranger to the silver screen. He’s acted and produced alongside some of Hollywood’s best in films like Vice and Black Mass.  In his latest project, The Masked Saint, Granstaff plays Chris Samuel, a pastor who lives a double life of a professional wrestler.  I recently had the opportunity to talk with him about the film and the lessons one can expect to get out of it.

Granstaff was motivated to take the lead role in The Masked Saint after reading Chris Whaley’s book of the same name, where the pastor detailed his adventures and lessons of preaching by day and wrestling by night. His first reaction was, “A pastor that doesn’t turn the other cheek?  Wait.  Is this real?”  People tend to put pastors on pedestals, and the book reminded him they’re people like everyone else. In addition, it immediately made the kid in him come out—you know, the kid who watched WWF (now WWE) and NWA matches on Saturday mornings and perhaps went to see Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair in person. To make it more authentic, Granstaff did his own stunts for the film, so you’ll see him actually wrestling as he plays the role of The Saint.

One unique aspect of The Masked Saint involves the film’s casting—specifically ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper, who plays the role of Nicky, a wrestling promoter. Sadly, Piper passed away before the movie came out, but Granstaff noted that he was a fantastic actor and impressed everyone with his graciousness and humility. Piper made time to talk to everyone while on set—even fans who showed up on occasion to see the famous wrestler.

Recently, series such as Daredevil have featured protagonists who live double lives with their nighttime persona being a hero who helps others in their times of need.  Grandstaff’s character in The Masked Saint is similar, prompting me to ask him if he thought the movie was in the same vein as these series. People have noticed a similarity, but he notes the film was never conceived in that manner. Instead, he likened it to a battle of David versus Goliath, specifically with the contrasts of light/dark, various physical sizes of the wrestlers and other actors, and one person confronting and taking down an unstoppable force.

I asked Granstaff about a common issue that tends to plague faith-based films: showing/telling too much and not allowing the audience to think. At this point, he shared that in most films of this nature, the director and writers (of which he is one) often preach to the choir and beat people over the head with specific points. His goal was to provide multiple themes that are more subtle in nature (he gave the topics of bullying, domestic violence, faith, and judgmental attitudes as examples), allowing everyone to take something away from the film. “A good movie can reach all kinds of people,” he added. Two ways this was accomplished in The Masked Saint involved higher production values and authentic situations—including scenes in the locker room—that offered a more realistic feeling.

In the end, the test will be whether audiences come out to support the film and recommend it to their friends and family. By offering a non-syrupy movie that shows both sides of situations in day-to-day life, Granstaff hopes The Masked Saint will accomplish just that.

The film opens in theaters starting January 8th, 2016.

Foxcatcher: Wrestling with God

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Foxcatcher is as difficult to write about as it was to watch. I have seen it three or four times now, and it does not lessen the difficulty of watching such a tense and dramatic film. Despite that, it is a great film, deserving every nomination for every film award it got! There is no other film like it. Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo all gave outstanding performances.

The difficulty of watching this film is that it is true.

Foxcatcher is the story of John du Pont (Steve Carell) whose desire to achieve something on his own draws him to sponsoring the US Olympic wrestling team in the 1980s. Du Pont knows nothing about wrestling, but it does not stop him. From the moment we meet du Pont, though we barely recognize Carell, we know that there is something not right.

The same could be said about Channing Tatum’s Mark Schultz. The trophies and metals in his apartment seem to stand as a memorial to what was in Mark’s life. Mark goes from making a speech to elementary school students about the Olympics to making a speech (prepared by du Pont’s people) about the father-figure that John du Pont has become in his life. These speeches stand in contrast to where Mark’s life has taken him.

John du Pont seeks out Mark to achieve his vision of being a part of a winning team. There are hints that he goes to Mark to get to his brother Dave (Mark Ruffalo), an experienced coach. In this attempt, John befriends Mark, making promises and sharing intimate stories. John sets himself up to be the father-figure that is missing in Mark’s life. Mark does not seek him out as a mentor; John positions himself to be such. On the way to the event where Mark is give a speech that John’s staffers wrote, John shares cocaine with Mark and teaches him how to use it. From there we see a decline in Mark.

There is something not right here.

Between the two of them, John and Mark fill the screen with emotional damage. This damage is so settled within their very core, that is difficult to see, yet it explains everything. After participating in drug use with John, Mark begins to change, which is depicted by his appearance. He dyes his hair and he dresses differently. He spirals into self-destruction.

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After he loses a match that he should have won, Mark returns to his hotel room to grieve. What follows is one of the most intense scenes in the whole film. Without any words, the real wrestling in Mark’s soul is revealed.

Filled with anguish, Mark sends his head into a mirror, glass breaking. He orders carts full of food and stuffs his face. His nameless internal wrestling bursts forth. The fighting ends with Mark collapsing to the floor. This is how David finds him. Bloodied. Defeated. Full of carbs. The wounds can be bandaged. The carbs can be handled. David puts his attention on Mark’s battered soul.

In the shadows of the hotel room, Mark is curled up on the bed, with David bent over him. As they do when they wrestle, they become one lump. David says to his younger brother, “You’re not in this alone.”

When you are in your darkest moment, dwelling in the shadows of life, there is nothing more meaningful than someone whispering, “You’re not in this alone.”

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In the Hebrew Bible, Jacob wrestled with an angel (Genesis 32) all through the night. Some have suggested that the angel represented God and the wrestling was over whom God was calling Jacob to be: Israel – the father of a nation. In Romans 7, Paul describes a fight with himself – “I do the things I know I shouldn’t do and I don’t do the things I know I should do.” In Ephesians 6, Paul says that the struggle we go through is not one of flesh and blood, but one with the spiritual forces of wickedness.

We wrestle with God, with ourselves, and with forces of injustice. 

The beauty of the film is that it does not state the obvious. We do not know for certain why Mark is emotionally damaged. Nor do we know why John is, though the film leaves clues as to why they may be. So often that is the case. We see others wrestling with their inner selves, not knowing why. We can, however, say to them, “You’re not in this alone.”